


The Death Lion (Merlin Fanfic) Part 2: What if this Storm Ends?

by VikaFromTheMoon



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Battle, Brothers, Castles, Curse Breaking, Curses, Dark Fantasy, Dragon Riders, Drama, Epic Battles, Epic Bromance, Fae & Fairies, Fantasy, Friendship, Gen, Ghosts, Horror, King - Freeform, Knights - Freeform, Magical Boys, Male Friendship, Matter of Life and Death, Medieval, Medieval Medicine, Mermaids, Monsters, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Mythology References, Ocean, Psychological Drama, Sirens, Spirit Animals, Talking Animals, Treason, War, Witches, Wizards, Youth, hero - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:02:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25625608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VikaFromTheMoon/pseuds/VikaFromTheMoon
Summary: King Arthur failed his people. He acted recklessly against the Death Lion, and as consequence, the beast's reign is growing. Merlin knows what kind of magic is needed to defeat it, but Arthur has no idea. Merlin has to find a way to convince him that it's not the kind of magic Arthur's used to. Worse, Camelot is still humiliated by the young king's performance at the Feast of Peace. Many do not know what to think of him anymore. Arthur is losing his people's trust, all because of the Death Lion's curse. He returns to the Lake of Peace to find answers from the faeries, and they warn him that his reckless behavior is killing off all the magic in the world. The Death Lion is planning to attack Camelot at full force under Morgana's control. Now, Merlin, Arthur, and Esmerelda must find the oldest and wisest Magical Being in the world. He is the only one who can help them. Things are hectic for Camelot, especially after its citizens learn that Esmerelda is a creature of the water. Will Arthur ever learn the different kind of magic needed to defeat the Death Lion? Will he ever regain his people's trust? The Magical Being and mermaid can only do so much. At the end of the day, the final battle boils down to just Arthur and Merlin.
Kudos: 1





	1. Endgame

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Anyone who is a Merlin Fan!](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Anyone+who+is+a+Merlin+Fan%21).



> What is the "different" kind of magic needed to save Camelot?

_“In a land of myth and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young man. His name: Merlin.”_

_\- Kilgharrah_

For the most part, the trip back to Camelot was quiet. Agravaine managed to catch up with the search party. When Arthur asked him where he was, he replied that he ran to safety the second the Death Lion attacked, and he apologizes for being such a coward.  
Merlin had no idea how to tell Arthur that Agravaine himself called the ambush at the Lake of Peace. In addition, he still had to find a way to take the vile of potion, the one that put Sir Elyan and Arthur under the Death Lion’s curse, from Agravaine. Boy, did he have a story to share with Gaius back at Camelot.  
Guinevere’s injury from the battle was bothering her, so she could not ride for long. Even though the search party was so close to Camelot (they would be there by early morning), they had to stop for her.  
Arthur helped Gwen off her horse. He took her over to a log so he could tend to her.  
The knights, Sir Elyan, Sir Percival, Sir Leon, and Sir Gwaine stayed as far away from Esmerelda as possible. Once dry, she regained her legs. However, she knew the knights did not trust her. Mermaids were not as evil as the legends portrayed them. Esmerelda just had to find a way to prove this to the knights.  
While Merlin worked on grabbing some supplies from the horses, Arthur checked Gwen’s wound. She had three, large scratches on her upper, left arm. Over the past forty-eight hours, the wound swelled. The young king hid his nervousness behind a weak smile and said, “When we get back to Camelot, Gaius will help you.”  
“I’m okay, really.” Gwen said. She wanted to help Merlin with camp, but Arthur told her to rest.  
“Merlin will be fine by himself.”  
Dinner was quiet that night. Gwaine, Elyan, Leon, and Percival sat away from Esmerelda. Gwaine was really craving a beer, but his friends told him he had to wait one more day.  
Agravaine ate in silence, and with his eyes closed. It looked like he was thinking. Merlin wanted to dig into his brain and pull out whatever knowledge he had about the Death Lion, but he couldn’t.  
Guinevere fell asleep. Arthur tossed a blanket over her to keep her warm. She looked a little sickly.  
The king had lost his appetite. He took the broken halves of his Faerie Sword and sat by a small creek behind the campsite. Fumbling around with the sword, Arthur stared at his reflection in the water.  
A little bit later, Merlin joined him at the creek bed. He held a bowl of soup in his hand, and he offered it to Arthur. “Hungry?”  
Arthur didn’t even look at him. “No thank you.”  
“Oh come on. You love to tease me when it comes to meals.” Merlin sat down next to his friend. “What happened to eating every little bit and only giving me crumbs?”  
Arthur did not laugh at Merlin’s joke. He continued to fumble with his sword. After a moment of silence, he asked, “What happened at the Lake of Peace? Why didn’t the swords defeat the Death Lion?”  
Merlin shrugged. “I told you. You were reckless. That was not when we were supposed to strike.” He sniffed Arthur’s bowl of soup, before biting into it.  
“Now what?” Arthur asked. “Our only hope for defeating the Death Lion is gone.” He picked up a rock sitting next to him and chucked it into the creek. Water splashed onto Merlin.  
He rubbed his face, saying, “Not all hope is lost. I’m sure there’s a way to repair them.”  
“How? They were given to us by the faeries themselves.” Arthur chucked another rock into the creek.  
Merlin set Arthur’s soup bowl down. He leaned in closer to him, saying, “Maybe we didn’t need the swords. The magic the faeries spoke of; it’s not what you think.”  
“I don’t care what I think, and I’m not interested in hearing your usual prattle.” Arthur said. “Camelot is doomed, all because of my dumb mistake.” With that, he stood up.  
Merlin followed him back to the campsite. Together, they looked upon Guinevere who was shaking a little bit in her sleep.  
“I’m worried about her.” Arthur admitted. “Why did you even let her join you?”  
“She was desperate.” Merlin said. “You know how she feels about you. Don’t worry. The second we get back to Camelot, we’ll take her to Gaius. Also, you’ve been gone for four days, sire. I’m sure the citizens will be happy to see you again.”

***

Unfortunately, what happened the next day was the complete opposite. The search party returned to Camelot in the early morning hours. However, nobody greeted the king. No one cheered or threw gifts at him. They merely glared. Arthur did not understand. Why was everybody looking at him like that? A few of the citizens tossed rotten fruit at him. It reminded Merlin of all the times he had food thrown at him as punishment of doing something wrong.  
Gulping, Arthur leaned to the young wizard and asked, “What exactly happened at the Feast of Peace?”

***

Merlin and Arthur took Gwen to Gaius the second they dismounted their horses. Merlin asked Esmerelda to tag along. Why? She had no idea. That was something she would figure out in Gaius’s chambers.  
Gaius was relieved to see Merlin and Arthur back home safe, but he went straight to work on Gwen.  
Esmerelda roamed around his laboratory. Curious, she picked up vials and pulled books off his bookshelf. She had none of this at the Lake of Peace.  
Gaius gave Gwen a bed, as well as a potion to help her sleep.  
Merlin and Arthur anxiously watched him from off to the side.  
“Well?” Arthur asked.  
“She has a slight infection.” Gaius explained. “Let’s just let her rest today. By morning, the fever should pass.”  
Merlin and Arthur sighed a breath of relief. Just hearing that Gwen was going to be okay brightened up their day. Arthur, who refused to leave Gaius’s chambers, wanted some time alone. He sat in the corner of the room with his knees pulled up close.  
“What’s with him?” Gaius asked Merlin.  
“Oh, you know – the Death Lion’s curse.” Merlin explained. “The citizens are still not totally recovered after what happened at the Feast of Peace. Not only that, but –” Merlin lowered his voice to a whisper. “He broke the Faerie Swords.”  
“What?!”  
Merlin quickly shushed Gaius. “We found the swords, like you said, but Arthur was reckless. He struck the Death Lion at the wrong time. He has no idea what kind of magic is needed to defeat it.”  
“Well, you need to help him understand, and quick.” Gaius whispered back. “Once the Death Lion has possessed its host, it will not rest until their dead. Arthur and Elyan are not going to stay their normal selves for long. Before we know it, the Death Lion will be back in their heads.”  
“That’s why we brought her.” Here, Merlin moved his eyes over to Esmerelda.  
She accidentally knocked over a pot, and it broke when it hit the ground. The pot narrowly missed Gaius’s leech tank. That would have been a mess if it broke too.  
Gaius glanced at her. “What’s her name?”  
“Esmerelda.” Merlin said. “She has healing magic, and she used it to loosen the effects of the curse on Arthur and Elyan.”  
“Is she a mermaid?” Gaius wanted to know.  
Merlin nodded. “Yes.”  
Gaius started to pass him, but he whispered in his ear. “Mermaids have a very bad reputation in the legends. You know this, right?”  
“I do.” Merlin said. “However, Kilgharrah told me that I need to prove to Camelot that mermaids are not evil. If anyone can delay the Death Lion’s attack, it’s her.”  
“Mr. Gaius, sir.” Esmerelda called from the broken pot. “I accidentally broke one of your pots.”  
Gaius made his way over to her. “It’s okay. It was an old one anyway.”  
Merlin stayed behind. He peered over his shoulder to Gwen. She had a cool cloth over her forehead and a new bandage around her wound. His eyes then moved over to Arthur.  
Frustrated, the king narrowed his eyebrows. He growled under his breath. Lifting his fist, he punched the wall of Gaius’s chambers. Ouch. Did that not hurt his hand? Well, if it did, then he did not care.

***

Merlin took some time to leave Arthur, Gaius, Esmerelda, and Gwen alone. He needed help. He had no idea what to do in this situation.  
Merlin hurried to the outskirts of the city. He rushed across a meadow and yelled in dragon lore. It wasn’t long until he was standing in a field of tall, green grass with herbs all around him.  
A roar came from the sky. Merlin waited patiently as a large, brown dragon swooped down and landed in front of him – Kilgharrah. The wise, old dragon looked Merlin straight in the eyes and said, “Welcome back, young warlock. I have missed your presence. It was getting quite lonely in the nest.”  
“Kilgharrah, we have a problem. A _big_ problem.” Merlin explained.  
“Yes, I know.” Kilgharrah said with a quick nod. “Arthur broke the Faerie Swords.”  
“Is there any way to repair them?” Merlin asked.  
“Who said you needed to repair them?” Kilgharrah said. He plopped down on his front and folded his wings behind him. “The swords were nothing more than a test, young warlock. The faeries were testing Arthur to see if he knew the different kind of magic needed to defeat the Death Lion. Unfortunately, he failed.”  
“He has no idea.” Merlin said with a shake of his head. “And I don’t know how to convince him. Please, Kilgharrah. I need your help.”  
“I will tell you this.” Kilgharrah spoke. “Far to the east, near the Eastern Cliffs, lives the wisest, oldest Magical Being in the world.”  
Merlin gave the dragon a funny look. “Go on.”  
“This Being knows more about faerie magic, mermaid magic, and Death Lion magic than even the alchemist,” continued Kilgharrah. “You must take Arthur and Esmerelda there.”  
“Esmerelda?” said Merlin.  
“Isn’t she the only one who can loosen the Death Lion’s spell on Arthur?” Kilgharrah wanted to know.  
“What about Elyan?” Merlin questioned.  
“Esmerelda has everything she needs to keep the young knight safe.” Kilgharrah added. “If you wish to defeat the Death Lion and convince Camelot that mermaids are not evil, then the Eastern Cliffs are your best choice.”  
Kilgharrah got up from the ground. He flapped his wings, lifting into the sky.  
Merlin called after him. “Wait! Where at the Eastern Cliffs does this Magical Being live?”  
“You’ll know when you get there!” Kilgharrah called back.  
“But –!”  
“So long, young warlock!”  
Ugh! Why was Kilgharrah always so vague? With a quick flap of his wings, he vanished into the early morning sky, leaving a very confused Merlin behind.  
The Eastern Cliffs, as well as the oldest Magical Being in the world, and a Death Lion running loose. Yep, Merlin definitely had his hands full. What happened at the Lake of Peace was only the beginning. This here was the endgame.


	2. Luminary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an updated version of the original Chapter 2. I've made some changes to it, so it would probably be wise to read this before I come out with Chapter 3. Most changes are towards the end of the chapter, when Merlin visits the spring.

So, this is where I’m staying?” Esmerelda asked King Arthur. He gave her a nice room in the castle. It had a window that overlooked the beautiful scenery behind Camelot: forests, mountains, and rivers. Her bed was right next to it, and she even had a wardrobe and desk. Merlin did a good job preparing the room for her.  
Arthur ran his fingertips through his hair and asked, “Do you like it?”  
“Oh, it’s great! I have nothing like this back home!” Esmerelda clapped her hands together. She hurried over to the bed and flung her body over it. “Oh, my goodness. This is so soft.” The young mermaid ran her hands across the bed’s covers and pillows. Her eyes then landed on a white nightshirt at the foot of the bed. “What’s this?” She picked up the gown and examined it up and down. Esmerelda rubbed it up against her skin. “Oh, I love it.”  
Both Arthur and Merlin smiled awkwardly.  
“No, you’re supposed to put it on.” Arthur instructed.  
“Huh?” Esmerelda had no idea what he meant by that. She held the nightgown in front of her, glancing between the two friends.  
Merlin was her mentor, mainly because Arthur ordered him to. Besides, he wasn’t the best at dressing himself either. Merlin came within reach of Esmerelda and acted out putting on a shirt. “You put the gown over her head and your arms through the arm holes.”  
“Oh, I see!” Currently, Esmerelda was wearing a shabby dress that the search party gave her when they took her away from the Lake of Peace. Oblivious, she started to strip right in front of Arthur and Merlin.  
They stopped her.  
“Whoa! Whoa!” Merlin shouted. He quickly pulled up Esmerelda’s dress sleeves. “You change when we’re not in the room.”  
Esmerelda blushed. “Oh, okay.” At Merlin’s request, she waited until he and Arthur stepped out of the room.  
In the hallway, Merlin crossed his arms and leaned his back up against the door. He noticed that Arthur was staring into space.  
“What’s bothering you, Arthur?” Merlin asked him.  
“Merlin, do you really think it’s wise to have a magical being in Camelot?” Arthur asked.  
Merlin cringed, chuckling nervously. “Magical being? I have no idea what you’re talking about. Oh, you mean Esmerelda!”  
“Of course, I mean Esmerelda! Who else would it be?” Arthur questioned.  
Merlin took a deep breath, calming down. “Not anyone I know. Arthur, I know you’re against magic in Camelot, but we _need_ Esmerelda.”  
“You think I don’t know that?” Arthur snapped.  
Merlin shrugged. “Um, before you get too carried away, I need to talk to you about something.” He thought back to what Kilgharrah said about traveling to the Eastern Cliffs to seek out the oldest Magical Being in the world. Merlin prepared to tell Arthur, but Esmerelda’s voice washed out his sentence.  
“I’m dressed!”  
Arthur pushed by Merlin so he could check on her. He opened the door and peeked inside, with Merlin right behind him. Their eyes widened.  
Esmerelda’s nightshirt was completely twisted. Her head was through the neck hole, but she had stuck both her arms through one arm hole. She tried to approach Merlin and Arthur, but she tripped and fell flat on her face.  
“Oh, boy.” Arthur mumbled under his breath. He was starting to regret bringing a mermaid to Camelot.

***

Merlin had a very hard time falling asleep that night. He kept on repeating Kilgharrah’s words to himself, but he was also concerned about Guinevere and Arthur. Gaius was keeping Gwen overnight to watch her.  
Merlin shuffled and turned in his sleep. He had terrible nightmares. He saw the Death Lion ripping Arthur to shreds in front of its den, and Esmerelda cornered by humans who laughed at her, kicked her, and called her a “freak.” The nightmares were so much that he started to sweat. Merlin snapped awake when he heard a voice. It sounded like Kilgharrah.  
_“Merlin.”_  
Merlin shot to a sitting position. Wet hair hung in front of his face. He rubbed his forehead and listened.  
_“Merlin.”_  
“Kilgharrah?” This reminded Merlin of the time when he first arrived at Camelot. Kilgharrah called him until Merlin found him under the castle.  
_“Merlin.”_  
Merlin pulled his sheets up close when a bright light appeared under his door. Something came in, something magical. It was a lightning bolt.  
The bolt was no more than five inches long. It flickered like a candle and floated over to Merlin. Before long, the lightning bolt hovered in front of him, and its light shone on Merlin’s face.  
Petrified, he leaped out of bed and backed into a corner. He knocked down a whole bookshelf doing this. Crash! Oops. He hoped the sound didn’t wake Gaius. Merlin waited, but Gaius never showed. It was just him and the lightning bolt.  
It flew around Merlin’s head, continuing to whisper. _“Merlin.”_  
“Very funny, Kilgharrah.” Merlin joked, but was it Kilgharrah?  
The lightning bolt left Merlin and headed for his Faerie Sword. Merlin had it propped up against the leg of his desk. It circled it a few times before slipping back under Merlin’s door.  
He got the message. The lightning bolt wanted him to follow it, but it was also asking for him to bring the Faerie Sword. Since the people of Camelot naturally saw Merlin as an idiot, he listened to it. After changing into his clothes, he picked up the two halves of the Faerie Sword in his hand. He used his free one to open his door. He checked to make sure the coast was clear. It was. Gaius was snoring loudly from his bed, and Guinevere was sleeping soundlessly on hers. Merlin tiptoed through the room. He was cautious about not bumping into anything.  
The lightning bolt took him outside to the castle’s courtyard. Right when it did, something happened. The lightning bolt split. Now instead of just one, there were two.  
A question mark seemed to appear above Merlin’s head. What just happened?  
_“Merlin.”_ The lightning bolts started in the direction of Camelot’s market. Halfway through it, a third bolt split off from the other two.  
Merlin guessed that he was getting closer to whatever they wanted to show him. He tightened his grip on the Faerie Sword, because he could feel his hand shaking.  
The lightning bolts led him to the woods, through a circular cluster of tall trees.  
Merlin pushed his way through plants to keep up with them.  
A fourth lightning bolt split off from the others. Four lightning bolts meant four lightning strikes.  
The journey finished at a spring. It was small and had a cobble walkway, as well as a statue in its heart. It portrayed a king with cupped hands. Merlin did not see them, but there were also small carvings of faeries on the statue’s body. The water surrounding it looked a little bit like a moat, and it was filled with different-colored flowers.  
Curious, Merlin straightened his posture. What was this spring? He’s never seen it before, and he’s been in the woods hundreds of times. Was this a dream?  
A fifth and final lightning bolt merged off the first four. All five bolts flew around Merlin’s head. He had trouble keeping up with them due to the speed at which they were moving.  
The bolts approached the statue together. They hovered over its head. Once in position, all five bolts created a small thundercloud. They were trying to tell Merlin something. Why did they bring him here in the first place? He would soon learn the answer.  
A few minutes passed, and then all five lightning bolts struck the statue. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The faerie carvings glowed up a fantastic light blue color and came to life. They jumped out of the statue at the same time. Finally, Merlin noticed them. The faeries zoomed past his head, causing his neckerchief to wave. Half of them dove into the spring. It glowed just like them. Holding his arms out to his sides, a surprised Merlin glanced down at the water. When he looked up, he saw something in the statue’s hands. He was holding a faerie. She also came to life. Flying out of the statue’s hands, she approached Merlin and gestured for him to come with her. To the young wizard’s surprise, his Faerie Sword’s blade started to glow a little bit, even though it was broken.  
Merlin peered down to it, saying, “Faerie magic. Does this mean –?”  
The faerie figure gently touched his finger. She took him over to the statue.  
Behind Merlin, the faeries continued to dance and play with one another. He focused his attention on the one.  
The lightning bolts froze in time in order to keep the magic alive.  
Merlin put each half of his Faerie Sword in each of his hands. He stared into the statue’s eyes before focusing his attention on the faerie. Inhaling a breath of air, he held the Faerie Sword over his head and counted to three. At three, he stabbed the two halves into the puddle in front of the statue’s hands.  
Merlin backed away when all faerie spirits zoomed past his head. Including the one who was sitting in the king’s hands, they unleashed a volley of light blue faerie dust on top of the sword. Merlin held his hand up to his face to protect his eyes against the glow.  
The Faerie Sword’s halves both lifted into the sky. It glowed brighter and brighter with the faerie magic. Only ten seconds later, the halves glued themselves to each other. The crack in between each half vanished, and the sword glowed ten times as bright.  
Merlin’s jaw dropped. He knew it! The Faerie Swords were powered by faerie magic. They were the ones who would repair them (under certain conditions).  
The faerie who originally sat in the statue’s cupped hands used magic to push the sword towards Merlin. _“We offer you our help,”_ she spoke in a mystical voice. _“But this is the least we can do. One sword is not powerful enough to destroy the Death Lion. You need both.”_  
“Then I’ll bring Arthur here.” Merlin quickly stated.  
The faerie shook her head. _“Arthur is not ready to wield the Faerie Sword. He is too impulsive. That is why he failed. Travel to the Eastern Cliffs and seek out the oldest living Magical Being. He has prepared a trial for the king. This trial will determine whether or not he can use such magic. He needs to learn from his mistakes, and you, Merlin, must help him.”_  
With that, the faerie pushed the Faerie Sword into Merlin’s hand. She bowed her head before she and the other faeries flew back into the statue. The lightning bolts and thunderclouds vanished, and the spring was quiet once again.  
The sword was no longer glowing, but sure enough, the faeries repaired it. Wow. Incredible. Merlin took a good look at it. He flipped it over a few times and held it up to his face. It was just as beautiful as it was when he first received it. He stared at it for he didn’t know how long, but finally, Merlin dropped the sword to his side. He sauntered out of the spring and started his journey back to the castle.  
Looking over his shoulder, he said to the faeries, “I will not fail you.”  
And just like that, he left the spring with a newly repaired Faerie Sword.


End file.
